A full three-quarters of all the biodiesel produced in the U.S. now meets the important BQ-9000 certification… a standard that couples the foundations of universally accepted quality management systems with the product specification ASTM D 6751, and has become the premier quality designation in the industry.
This press release from the National Biodiesel Board says six companies picked up the certification this week… the largest group to ever achieve the quality standard at one time:
“BQ-9000 companies dominate the industry with 75% of biodiesel produced in the US, which is a huge achievement,” said Leland Tong, Chairman of the National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission which is the governing body for the BQ-9000 program. “I think that demonstrates the market power of BQ-9000.”
A 2008 study by Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows the biodiesel industry has achieved a high degree of success in meeting national fuel quality standards. The study demonstrated that plants certified under BQ-9000 fared the best. BQ-9000 producers consistently hit the mark, no matter how large or small the plant.
The six that just made the certification include biodiesel marketer Downs Company of Corona, Calif.; Piedmont Biofuels of Pittsboro, N.C.; Beacon Energy Corp. of Cleburne, Texas ; Lake Erie Biofuels of Erie, Pa.; Paseo Cargill Energy of Kansas City, Mo.; and Ag Processing Inc. (AGP) of St. Joseph, Mo.
“They recognize some of the volatility we are facing, they recognize that we are a commodity that has to deal with peaks and valleys,” said Jennings. “But I think there is also a commitment that we need to continue to pull together to move this industry forward.”
Another was Winston Churchill’s famous “If you’re going through hell, just keep going.” Jennings says the point there is that “nothing that is significant is easy to accomplish” and the industry just needs to keep going in the face of the negative publicity. 
An animated version of an enzyme that could accelerate the process of making cellulosic ethanol from woody plants and farm waste looks kind of like “a Technicolor dinosaur fossil chomping on dinner.”
Retail giant JCPenney has inked an agreement with BroadStar Wind Systems to install BroadStar’s unique wind turbines at the retailer’s massive 1.6 million-square-foot distribution center in Reno, Nevada.
Music and a message will be what goes from the West Coast to the East Coast as the biodiesel-powered Green Train is set to make a tour across the country this coming April.
The train will include two flatbed concert stage cards. During the six-week tour the train will stop in seven major cities where country music performer and songwriter Merle Haggard, along with other musicians, will perform. They will also hold dozens of small-town whistle stop acoustic performances. Other artists and celebrities who have pledged their support for the Green Train include Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Cher, The Dave Matthews Band, Collective Soul, Jewel, John Mayer, and The Indigo Girls.
The city beaches and streets in Long Beach, California are going to be kept clean by using a greener fuel.
Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman is calling on the agriculture industry to stick together on the issue of ethanol. 
“Nebraska and America need a strong ethanol industry and Nebraska and America need a strong livestock industry,” Heineman stressed. “One cannot succeed without the other. America’s agriculture industry must remain united in support of a strong ethanol industry and a strong livestock industry. America must become energy independent and ethanol is one step in that process.”